This week's podcast episode is a 15-Minute Body Scan Meditation. The Body Scan is a classic practice to cultivate mindfulness of the body and develop embodied awareness. For many of us, it’s difficult to stay connected with the felt sense of the body. There are a lot of reasons we get pulled away from our embodied awareness - because of busy-ness, speeding through the day, getting lost in our devices, and living in a culture that values our intellectual side over our embodied...

This podcast episode is a fascinating conversation with Scott Odom, about what happens when we start to see the world through a lens of “basic goodness.” Scott is a retired police officer, dedicated Buddhist practitioner, and former nomad who spent four years traveling the country in an airstream. We talk about practice, the process of transformation, and integrating the many roles we play in life. In this conversation, you’ll hear about Scott’s experiences working as a police officer, and...

This week's podcast episode is a guided meditation using compassion phrases. We can always benefit from giving and receiving more compassion - as individuals, and as a collective of interdependent beings co-existing on this planet. So in this meditation, we’ll be practicing self-compassion, as well as compassion for others. Compassion is one of the heart cultivation practices within the Buddhist Mindfulness tradition. It is related to (but a little different from) Metta, or Loving-Kindness,...

In today's episode of the podcast, we'll be exploring Wise Effort. Practicing Wise Effort means being mindful of how you’re using your energies and your attention - and whether that is moving you towards fulfilling your intentions.  This is something we can look at in meditation practice, or in movement practice...and hopefully apply in the rest of our life’s activities.  You'll hear about Wise Effort (or Right Effort) in the context of the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path, and why it's...

In this episode of the podcast, we're talking about the Bio Psycho Social Spiritual model and Mindful Movement. I believe this framework can help us understand the full potential of Mindful Movement and the (sometimes unexpected) benefits we gain from practicing. Listen in, and hear why Mindful Movement deserves to be a priority if you’re looking to increase your well-being. The Bio Psycho Social Spiritual (BPSS) model represents a holistic approach to human health, which was originally...

This week's podcast episode is an Equanimity practice. Join me for a guided meditation, exploring the potential for steadiness in the heart and mind. Equanimity, or Upekkha (in Pali), is a natural by-product of Mindfulness Meditation. We grow our steadiness a little bit every time we come back to our anchor in the present moment. And, our  steadiness also gets stronger every time we’re able to observe our reactive thoughts and emotions without getting caught up in them. Equanimity practice...

This week on the podcast, I’m talking about ADHD and Mindfulness Meditation with my guest Ying Deng. Ying is the founder of ADHD Asian Girl, a platform that provides support and resources for people with ADHD, especially Asian women. She is a certified Transformation Life Coach with additional training in positive psychology, and she’s currently in Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach’s 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP). There is some research that shows...

This episode of the podcast is a guided meditation using Loving Kindness phrases.  Metta (or Loving Kindness) Meditation is one of the heart practices from the Mindfulness tradition, and it’s a way of cultivating goodwill and friendliness for ourselves and others. One of the techniques we use in Metta practice is to silently recite phrases to help invoke the intention of loving kindness.  In this guided meditation, we will start by offering Metta phrases to another being (such as an animal...

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a Mindful Movement class and a Yoga class? That question is a little more complicated than it may first appear, and so that’s what we’re going to explore in this episode of the podcast. While Yoga could certainly be considered a type of Mindful Movement, we’re going to break down the similarities and differences between a typical mainstream Yoga class and a movement class that is more like a dynamic expression of Mindfulness Meditation.  ...

In this episode of the podcast, I have the honor of speaking with Dr. Kate Truitt about the Havening Techniques, which use mindful touch and intentional attention to change how your brain responds to stress.  Dr. Kate Truitt is a licensed clinical psychologist, applied neuroscientist, and an internationally recognized expert in the neuroscience of trauma, stress, and resilience. She is the co-developer of the Havening Techniques and author of the book Healing In Your Hands: Self-Havening...

This week on the podcast, I’d like to talk about “everyday mindfulness,” the practice of taking small moments to pause and be aware throughout your day. We’ll explore practical ways you can create a supportive mindfulness practice for all the moving parts of your real, beautiful, and (sometimes) messy life. The advantage of everyday mindfulness is that we can incorporate it into what we’re already doing, so it doesn’t require any extra time. Practicing this way can be quite organic when we...

In this episode, I’m talking about unmasking the inner critic with my guest Andrew Lang. Andrew is a lifelong educator and a gentle, light-hearted facilitator of meaningful inner work. So, you’ll hear about how to recognize your limiting narratives and transform them – in a kind, embodied, and even playful way. Andrew Lang is the author of a book called Unmasking the Inner Critic: Lessons for Living an Unconstricted Life. He offers an expansive definition of the inner critic, and how it...

Today's episode of the podcast is a guided meditation on Mindfulness of Sound! In this practice, we will use the sense of hearing to connect to the present moment. During the recording, you will hear a few different meditation bells and singing bowls. This is not really a "sound bath" - rather, it's an experience of how you can use sounds in a Mindfulness Meditation practice, allowing hearing to become a meditative anchor. Practicing Mindfulness of Sound Teaches Us: Nothing is really a...

In today's podcast interview with Heather Gross, we learn about sound healing and gender-affirming voice therapy. This is a fun and empowering conversation that will inspire you to pay more attention to your own vocal self-expression! As Heather states, "you can't separate the mind from the body, and you can't separate the voice from the self." This episode explores the power and potential held in the voice, and how deeply the voice connects to one's identity. You'll hear about Heather's...

The podcast is back this week with another guided meditation! Today, we'll explore the theme of practicing patience. I start with a brief intro about patience, sharing why this wise aspiration is on my mind this week. The meditation follows, starting at about the 6:00 mark. (You can skip ahead if you've heard the intro before, or you just want to go directly to the practice). Most of us will probably admit that we could use more patience in our lives. Patience is similar to equanimity...

Today's episode of the podcast is a little different - rather than a talk or an interview, I'm offering a short practice! Find a quiet spot, pop in your headphones, and try this Guided Meditation: Mindfulness of Breathing, 4 Ways. (If you want to skip my brief intro and go right to the meditation, you can fast forward to 1:55.) This guided meditation offers a beginner-friendly introduction to Mindfulness of Breathing, or a nice refresher for those who are already familiar with breath...

In this episode of the podcast, we step back and consider: what is mindful movement? Both the words “mindfulness” and “movement” are used in a wide variety of ways, so it’s not always obvious what is meant by either, or in the combination that is “mindful movement.” I will talk about the most common or general way of defining mindful movement, and I’ll also share some thoughts on how to take that further – allowing movement to become a richer, embodied expression of mindfulness. A simple...

Today's episode of the podcast is about mindful resilience, inspired by a Tai Chi balance training that I took last week. The TaiJi Quan Moving for Better Balance training is a program developed by Dr. Fuzhong Li, a scientist at the Oregon Research Institute. It is based on traditional Tai Chi, but with some significant adaptations that tailor this program to balance training and fall prevention. What really struck me about this program was how it emphasizes capacity-building,...

In this episode of the podcast, I’m going to talk about four of the most interesting benefits of mindful movement...that you probably haven’t heard about. Do you find it motivating to know how your practice is benefiting you? Or are you (perhaps) the kind of person that won’t decide to do a new activity unless you really understand why it’s worth your time and effort?  I can absolutely relate to that, so that’s why this episode is going to be dedicated to talking about some of the many...

In this episode, I’m talking about chronic pain and yoga with my guest Mandy Ryle. Mandy is an evidence-based Yin Yoga teacher, and this is an information-packed conversation about how Yin Yoga fits into the pain care equation for her students. We talk about what is (and is not) part of a pain care-informed approach to Yin Yoga, and how it is much more than finding the “3 magic poses” for whatever part of the of the body is in pain. Mandy also talks about her experiences with hypermobility...

In today's episode of the podcast, I'm discussing the most common meditation myth: the idea that you need to get rid of your thoughts. You'll hear about Mindfulness of Thinking, how thoughts fit in to meditation practice, what we can learn by observing those thoughts, and some techniques to try. I’m hoping that if you’ve heard this meditation myth, you’ve also had someone tell you it’s false! But here’s the thing - just having the myth busted probably isn’t enough. You can know that you...

In today’s episode, we’re talking about green exercise and mindfulness in nature! My guest, Jessica Patching-Bunch (JPB) fills us in on all the benefits that moving outside can provide to the body, brain, and our general well-being. Green exercise is deliberate movement in a natural environment – everything from hiking or biking outside, to Tai Chi in the park, to swimming, and many other activities. I know from my personal, subjective experience that being outside is good medicine, but...

Today's episode of the podcast is a little different than usual, because it’s about a book! I’m talking about why awe is good for us, drawing from what I learned by reading Dacher Keltner’s new book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life. In case you didn’t know, researchers are studying awe - as in the feeling of amazement or wonder, the experience of having your jaw drop, or those moments when you get goosebumps. It turns out this is very good for us! ...

This week, we have an inspiring podcast conversation with Sharon Shelton about the benefits of learning meditation in community, through mindfulness mentor groups. Sharon is a mindfulness and dharma teacher and certified life coach, and one of the founding teachers at Cloud Sangha. You'll be energized by Sharon's passion, as she describes the power of mindful connection. She explains how exploring mindfulness in community can strengthen your individual meditation practice, and that it can...

In today’s podcast episode, I’m talking about Yin Yoga Meditation. Not only is this slow, mindful yoga practice a fantastic gateway to sitting meditation, but it can truly be a meditation practice in itself - if you practice with that intention. You’ll hear how Yin Yoga might be a more approachable way to learn meditation, and exactly how you can develop meditative skills within your Yin Yoga poses. We’ll go over ways that Yin Yoga is different from other styles and how its physical benefits...